Headlight.



No. 771,807. PATENTED OOTwll, 1904.

F. BURGER & H. M. WILLIAMS.

HEADLIGHT.

- APPLICATION FILED FEB.7, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 1. 7

3 n veutou/ Witnesses No. 771,803]. PATENTED OCT. 11, 1904i F. BUBGER.& H. M. WILLIAMS.

HEADLIGHT. APPLICATION FILED PEB.7,1902.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEBT 2.

- particularly pointed out.

UNITED STATES Patented October 11, 1904:.

PATENT ()EEIc FRANZ BURGER AND HENRY M. WILLIAMS, OF FORT IVAYNE, INDIANA;

SAID BURGER ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HIS RIGHT TO SAID I/VIL- LIAMS.

HEADLIGHT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,807, dated October 11, 1904.

Application filed February '7, 1902. Serial No- 93,008- (No model.)

To (ZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANZ BURGER and HENRY M. WILLIAMS, citizens of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Headlights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to headlights adapted to be used in locomotives and under similar conditions; and it has for its object to improve the construction and extend the use of such lights; and to these ends it consists in a hcadlight embodying the general features of construction, substantially as hereinafter more In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section, partly in side elevation, of a headlight embodying the invention; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal section at substantially right angles to the section shown in Fig. 1. 4 a

One of the objects of the invention is to insure a light in the headlight at all times when it is desired, and it embraces the conjoint use of an ordinary lamp, as an oil-lamp, with an electric light or lights arranged in suclf relation toeach other and to the oil-lamp that they can all be illuminated and furnish light at the same time without interference with each other.

Another feature of the invention relates to means whereby some portion of the lightrays from the lamp or lamps may be deflected so as to throw some of the light out of its normal path without materially interfering with the usual parallel rays of light issuing from the lamp structure.

Referring to the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, A represents the case or housing of the headlight, which is provided with a parabolic reflector B, as is usual, and there is a lamp C, which is preferably an oil-lamp and is provided with a burner D and chimney E, arranged in such relation to the parabolic reflector that the light from said lamp is projected in substantially parallel rays. In other words, the burner of the lamp .is arranged substantially in the focus of the parabolic reflector, the lamp being supported in the housing, as is usual.

Arranged on each side of the burner D and in substantially the same vertical plane is a series of incandescent electric lamps F F, and these are arranged symmetrically around the burner and in such position that the bulk of the light emitted by said lamps will be projected in parallel rays along the lines of the rays from the oil-lamp. These electric incandescent lamps may be mounted in any suitable way; but, as shown, their necks project through the parabolic reflector B and are adapted to suitable holders G, Which are fastened on the outside of the reflector B. Suitable connections H lead to the lamps and supply them with electricity, and these connections may be fed from any suitable source of supply carried on the engine or train, or in the case of an electrically-propelled locomotive or vehicle the conductors are connected to the source of supply, as a trolley-wire or otherwise. 7 Oftentimes in this class of apparatus it is "desirable to furnish a supply of electricity from a generator connected to be operated from the axles of the train, and in that case of course When the train is stationary no current will be generated and the electric lamps would not be energized unless some special arrangements were ,made, as by the use of secondary batteries or otherwise, so that the supply of current was maintained. In running railway-trains it is not of importance to have the full illumination in the headlight when the train is standing still, and even in that case with the use of this invention there would be, when desired, sufficient illumination in the headlight for ordinary purposes from the oil-lamp; but when the train is running and the electric generator operated properly therefrom the electric lamps are illuminated and contribute further to the illumination of the track. Of course if suitable arrangements are provided the electric lamps may be illuminated constantly and during the same time that the ordinary oil-lamp is illuminated, and the invention thus provides means for maintaining an increased illumina- -.capable of being used in different conditions invention.

and connections without disturbing the construction and arrangement of the parts of the lamp.

It has heretofore been suggested that the ordinary oil-lamp of a headlight may be replaced by an electric lamp, and devices have been constructed whereby one or the other lamp could be used; but by this invention both kinds of lamps can be used simulta-f neously without any readjustment of the lamps themselves, and Whether they are used continuously in conjunction and simultaneously depends upon the electric connections and the source of supply and other conditions .which are immaterial to the broad idea of the Further, with this invention the amount of illumination can be largely increased by the use of the electric lamps arranged substantially as described, and this illumination may be constant or intermittent or otherwise, as desired.

In the usual construction of headlights the light, as above intimated, is projected forward in parallel lines, and it is often desirable to deflect a portion of the light out of its ordinary pathas, for instance, when the headlight is used on alocomotive and itis desired to illuminate the track where itis curved to one side or the other or to flash signals .from the headlightand the invention in-its entirety comprises means whereby this can be done without materially interfering with the forward illumination. In order to accomplish this, the housing A of the headlight is. extended forward, as at A, and it may be closed in front by the usual transparent door W,and, preferably, the sides and top are formed of some transparent material, as U, Mounted within this extension are one or more deflectors I, flat plates of metal or other material which can be maintained in a good reflecting condition, and this deflector or deflectors is arranged so that normally it is in a position parallel to the parallel rays oflight and interferes very little with the passage of the light; but it is so arranged that it can be moved into a position to deflect in one direction or the other more or less of said paral lel rays. For instance, if the deflector is arranged at the bottom it can be arranged so as to deflect more or less of the rays in a generally vertical direction, or if the deflector or deflectors are arranged at the sides of the housing they can deflect more or less of the rays to one or the other side thereof.

In the drawings, for purposes of illustration, there are shown two deflectors I 1, ar-

ranged in a vertical position andwith their faces normally parallel to the parallel rays of light from the parabolic reflector. They may be mounted in any suitable way; but as shown they are pivoted, as at K and L, in the housing, these pivots being arranged at or near their inner edges or portionsadjacent to the parabolic reflector. Suitable-means are provided for adjusting the position of the deflector or deflectors, and in the present instance they are shown as provided with operating-levers connected at their under edges near the middle with projecting pins 0, on

.Which the rods P swing, the outer ends of which rods are-pivoted at Q to the bell-crank levers R, which are fulcrumed at S. The outer ends of the bell-crank levers pass through slots inthe housing-and-are provided with handles, as :T, by. means of which they may be adjusted. These handles or other operating means can be within reach of the engineer or other operator. InlFig. 2 one of the deflectors I is shown inits normal .position parallel with the light-rays from the parabolic reflector, while the other deflector is shown as adjusted atan angle, so as to intercept more or less of theparallel rays and to deflect them to one side, as indicated. Of course it willbeunderstoodzthat .this arrangement one deflector may be -used at a time or bothmayibe-usedito deflectrays in the same general direction or .in different directions, andthis can be done-so as to deflect only a portion of the parallelirays from the lamps. The advantages of such deflectors will be readily appreciated by those-skilled in the art, and the arrangement of such deflectors in connection with a headlight as herein described will be apparent. Thus,-for instance, if the deflectors are not necessary and a strong illumination isnot desired the oil-lamp alone may be .in use; butwhen more light is required the electric lamps may be simultaneously illuminated in conjunction with the. oillamp, and especially when-more or less of the rays are to be deflected is-it desirable to have more illumination from the lamps.

It will beseenthat the improved headlight can be used for many purposes and be arranged to accomplish different results without departing from the general spirit of the invention, the construction illustrated and herein described being suflicient to enable those skilled in the art to apply. the invention for the purposes desired.

'l/Vithout limiting-the inventionto' the specific form or construction and arrangement of parts shown, what is claimed is- 1. In a headlight, the combinationwith a parabolic reflector and a source-of light-in front of thereflector, of-ahousing extending in advance of thereflector and havingxtransparent front and sides, and deflectors consisting of flat-plates arrangedwithin said extension with their faces normally parallel with the lines of rays of light projected by the reflector, and means for varying the position of said deflectors, substantially as set forth.

2. In a headlight, the combination with a housing, a parabolic reflector and a source of light mounted therein, of an extension to the housing having transparent front and sides, a deflector consisting of a flat plate mounted in said extension and pivoted at its rear edge 10 adjacent to the reflector, and means for adjusting the position of the deflector, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ BURGER. HENRY M. WILLIAMS. Witnesses:

'GEO. K. TORRENGE, J. C. BURGER. 

